Consequences of our Actions
by Aloharocker
Summary: This is a sequel to Sacrifices we Made, because so many people asked for it. Mark and Roger move on with their lives.
1. Chapter 1

Sequel to Sacrifices we Made, because so many people asked for it. And yes, Jessica will be making an appearance eventually, I don't know if she's going to be a major character yet, just bear with me.

It's been two years since that horrific day when Mark told me he was HIV positive. We are both still alive and holding strong. Jessica has officially gone into remission and just started studying at a private music school on a full scholarship.

For his last documentary, Mark went inside the life of a stripper. Not literally, but he did some pretty in depth interviews in honor of Mimi. It was so good in fact that he's got several hundred thousand dollars in grants and prizes saved up now. We still live in the old loft though. We're officially together now, rings and everything. It's not easy sometimes but I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Mark?" I called when I exited the bedroom after finding his side of the bed empty. He wasn't in the bathroom or the kitchen either.

No answer. Usually when he went out to film in the morning he left a note. I threw on a sweatshirt before going outside to get a newspaper. Even though Mark was making ridiculous amounts of money now I wanted to get a job just in case. From the time Jessica came home from the hospital to when she started at her new school, I continued her lessons, but now that she was getting real lessons she didn't need me anymore. I missed it, but she deserved a real education now, especially with her talent.

I paid the vendor for my paper and went back upstairs for a cup of coffee while I read the want ads. I was making a list of phone numbers when Mark came back.

"You're back." I said looking up.

"Yep."

"Where'd you go?" I asked, noticing that he didn't have his camera with him.

"I, um, found us a new apartment." He said, ears turning red.

"What!" I exclaimed.

"Come on, it's not too far from here." He said motioning to the door.

As old, dirty, decrepit and unsafe as the loft was I still loved it. We had so many memories here, especially those of April, Angel and Mimi. I could see them all in turn sitting on the ragged couch. How could we turn our backs on their ghosts?

"Mark?"

"Huh?"

"Why?"

Mark shook his head like my statement confused him.

"This place isn't really safe Roger. I mean you can practically taste the mildew, rot who the hell knows how much bacteria that's growing on every surface. Not to mention the fact that the windows are all either cracked or broken. The heater tends not to work even when we do pay the bill and you practically got electrocuted last week just plugging in the coffee pot."

Damn it I knew he was right but it just felt so wrong to even entertain the thought of leaving this place. Mark and I were the only original tenants of the loft left! I got HIV here and I planned to die of AIDS here. I didn't want that for Mark though. He deserved to live so much longer than that. He was only sick because of me.

"Okay." I said finally. "Can I see it first, before we decide on anything?"

"Duh, that's why I came back."

Mark had a bit of an attitude since the whole documentary thing took off. He hated the attention with an unending passion. We actually had a few cases of stalking paparazzi in the beginning, but once they figured out where he was headed they backed off. The only reason he hadn't stopped the whole promotion was because we needed the money in the worst way.

I pulled on my jacket and followed Mark out the door.

"How far away is it?" I said, stuffing my hands in my pockets.

"Fifteen minute walk, but a lifetime away." He quipped.

Rather than make a smart comment I kept my mouth shut. I knew he was just trying to do the right thing for us.

When Mark said "a lifetime away" he wasn't kidding. The buildings were suddenly beautiful. No spray paint blemished the crimson brick facades, windows sparkled in the sunlight without the layers of dust and stains I remembered from the loft, the sidewalks had trashcans, and people actually used them instead of chucking anything and everything on the street.

"It's just up here." Mark pointed.

I followed him up smooth concrete stairs to a white door in which he stuck a key.

"It's on the top floor so we've got the same roof access we had at the loft." He muttered before starting on the stairs.

"How many floors are there?"

"Five."

So we hiked up five flights of stairs. It was no where near as high as the loft was. One thing I could be thankful for at least.

"It's apartment five C." Mark huffed when we reached our floor.

The hallway was neat and dimly lit. Red carpet lined the floor and the walls were painted a cool charcoal grey. The door was a similar color with silver lettering. Mark unlocked the door and motioned me inside ahead of him.

It was a third of the size but five times the quality of the loft. The floors were all carpeted noncommittal beige with equally bland walls aside from the kitchen and bathroom that had shiny tile floors. Rather than a fire escape we had an actual balcony, but it was roughly the same dimensions. There were two bedrooms, both had nice sized windows that let light in. It still felt too small to really be home. I still didn't know if I could do it. Mark obviously sensed my hesitation.

"We don't have to take it."

I bit my lip.

"It's not that it isn't great, hell I never thought I'd live somewhere this nice ever again but…"

My brilliant filmmaker put his arm around me.

"I know it's going to be hard to say goodbye to all the memories we had in the loft but we can take them with us."

At least he understood my dilemma.

"Mark. Do you really want to do this?"

"Yes."

We signed the papers that evening and began the chore of sorting through the junk we'd collected since moving to the city.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the wait, my life is the epitome of chaos right now. I don't know if I'm going to keep this up yet… Reviews are always appreciated!

* * *

"Is that the last one?" Mark asked after I squeezed the last cardboard box into the van we had rented for the occasion.

"It better be."

We'd just spent three hours hauling all the salvageable furniture and boxed up memories downstairs. It was moving day, a phrase I thought I'd never use for myself. I took one last look up at our windows. I still couldn't believe we were doing this.

I looked over at Mark and could see tears forming in the eye that wasn't covered by his camera.

"Ready?" I asked softly.

"I guess."

I got behind the wheel and Mark climbed in on the passenger side.

We made the short trip in relative silence. If I hadn't been driving, I probably would have been sobbing. All my thoughts revolved around a slide show of memories set to the soundtrack of what our lives had been. That was quite possibly the cheesiest line on the planet but I don't know what else to say. All I could think about was what we were leaving behind.

Our late friends weren't just memories; it had been a whole way of life. Now the group had pretty much disbanded. Mimi's death had pushed Collins over the edge, he was barely hanging on. Though he never said it, I could tell seeing us only made it worse. We visited once in a while but I hated hurting him when I knew he was already in so much pain. He'd join his Angel soon. Maureen and Joanne fought constantly, but they needed each other at the end of the day. Joanne's profession could feed Maureen's whims and desires like no one else and Maureen kept Joanne young. There really wasn't room for us in their new life.

Mark held his head in his hands and I could hear his quiet weeping. I knew he was going to be fragile the next couple of days; hell we both probably would be.

"We're here." I muttered, pulling up in front of the apartment.

"Okay."

I unbuckled my seatbelt. "Why don't you go unlock the door, and I'll start unloading."

Mark nodded and headed for the front door. This long day was only going to get longer.

* * *

"I might never be able to use my arms again." I sighed, falling on the newly repaired couch.

It was dark out now and we had finally gotten all our stuff into the apartment and returned the van.

"You were always better with your mouth anyway." Mark whispered, straddling my hips and leaning down to meet my lips.

I moaned when he pulled back.

"Mark, I'm too tired."

"I know. Just relax, I'll do all the work baby."

And work he did.

Slowly his tongue invaded my mouth, all my senses were filled with my perfect filmmaker. His devilish hands tickled my hot skin where ever they touched. Soon our clothes hit our new floor. Two pairs of jeans, two shirts, four socks and two pairs of underwear piled there. His tongue danced down my aching body and teased in all the right places. All my muscles tensed, but in a good way now. I gave back as much as I could, my fingers raking through his hair as he sucked. I couldn't distinguish between our moans of ecstacy. It was all one giant melody of love, lust and passion.

"I think I've got a little more energy now." I said after the first shared climax. I gently tackled him to the floor; the carpet was softer than I expected. It was my turn to dazzle him into a haze of oblivion.

* * *

I woke up with Mark curled up against me. Sun was glaring through the glass sliding door that we were sleeping completely naked in front of. I made a mental note to buy some curtains or something. I tugged my jeans back on and quietly poked through the boxes until I found the coffee pot and coffee.

"Good morning." Mark said, coming into the kitchen and kissing me. He hadn't bothered to put any clothes on yet.

"You realize you just stood in front of a full length glass door in all your naked glory?"

Mark's jaw dropped.

"Shit. I forgot, you can actually see through these windows."

"Come on, let's go check out the shower." I motioned with my head towards the bathroom. I'd already unpacked the shower curtain and a few towels. Just in case.

The shower, if you were wondering, works just fine. We got dressed and resigned ourselves to the fact that we actually had to unpack. Mark decided that making the bed was rather important, while I put the kitchen together. We'd have to get some groceries too. I was setting up the microwave, a new luxury we'd splurged on when there was a knock at the door.

"Can you get it, Mark?" I called. I didn't want to leave any of the wires unattended.

"Yeah."

"Hi, Mark! How are you?"

I dropped the screwdriver I was holding and walked to the door.

Jessica and her mom were standing there, with a set of curtains and a tea kettle.

* * *

sorry this was so short, i'll see if i can get the next chapter up soon. 


	3. Chapter 3

Reviews are always appreciated.

Disclaimer: _I-shouldn't-have-to-put-one-of –these-up-but-I-will-anyway. _I don't own any rights to RENT or related characters. Only the stories I put them in.

* * *

"Roger!" Jessica cried running towards me for a hug. Her strawberry blonde locks had grown almost to her shoulders now and had a hint of curl. There was a warm pink tint to her skin and her eyes glowed. She looked so healthy!

"Hey sweetheart. How's the new school?"

She beamed, showing a space where a baby tooth had been.

"It's so amazing! I'm going to be in a concert soon, you have to come see me play. I'm getting really good but there's lots of kids who are better than me."

"I'd love to come hear you play sometime. I bet you've learned a lot."

While Jessica and I were catching up Mark had invited Mrs. Oliver in, and they were putting the new red teakettle she brought to good use.

"It's a beautiful little apartment." Mrs. Oliver said when we joined them at the table.

"Thanks. Mark picked it out, it was a great surprise."

"I hope you don't mind us dropping by like this. It's just that Jessica missed you so much and we thought bringing you some nice housewarming gifts would be a nice way to thank you."

I nodded. "Just seeing Jess so healthy is thanks enough."

"That's very sweet of you."

The four of us chatted for a bit longer before Mrs. Oliver made their excuses and Jessica promised to call when her next concert was scheduled.

I hung the new curtains up immediately. They were black with silver plaid and fit the windows just right.

"Now we've got some privacy." I muttered.

"Roger, we've got to get the rest of this place unpacked!" Mark said turning his attention to the stack of boxes that still filled the living room and kitchen.

"They're cardboard boxes, they aren't going anywhere." I whispered in his ear, tracing the ridges with my tongue.

The filmmaker moaned softly and pitifully tried to push me away.

"No, we have to get this stuff put away."

"You'd rather unpack boxes than kiss me?" I pouted.

"That's not really a fair ultimatum. Why can't we do both? It'll be like strip poker. For every box you unpack, you get another kiss. The bigger the box, the bigger the kiss."

Sometimes I hated the logical side of his brain.

"I'll play your game but only if there's a grand prize at the end."

"I'll make it worth your while."

I didn't know Mark was capable of sounding so sexy and seductive. I was ready to explode.

"You are a terrible tease, you know that?"

"Roger, all this whining isn't getting you any closer to finishing."

I grinned as I opened the first box. Only Mark could make the tedious chore of unpacking boxes into a sex game.

* * *

"How many is that?" I asked adding the box I had just emptied into the closet to the pile.

"Twenty-five." Mark said from the bed.

"How many are left?"

"Twelve."

"Why aren't you unpacking any? This was your idea."

"I'm telling you where to put stuff. How would I be able to organize the boxes you're unpacking if I'm unpacking my own?"

I shook my head. He was so annoying sometimes but I loved him anyway.

"Brat."

"If you're going to call me names, I guess you don't want your kiss from that box." He said nodding towards the messy stack.

"I didn't say that, did I?"

I perched on the edge of the bed and wiped the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand. Mark leaned over and pecked me on the lips.

"I thought they were supposed to get more intense as I went." I protested.

"Then be nice to me."

I pretended to glare then leaned over and gave him a deep kiss.

"I'll try."

It took me another hour to unpack the remainder of the boxes and an hour after that to finish arranging the furniture to Mark's liking. He had the nasty habit of changing his mind over and over.

"Finished." I said falling on the bed.

"Not quite. I think I liked the dresser on that wall instead." Mark said pointing.

"Too bad. It's full of clothes now and I'm tired."

"I was hoping you'd say that. I'm sick of bossing you around. Being a bitch isn't as fun as it looks."

I laughed. Good old Mark.

"I think you owe me a little something now."

Mark nodded. "I think you're right."

He started to kiss me softly but I was too charged to wait. I flipped him over so he was pinned beneath me and ravaged his soft lips with mine.

"I need you."

It was my turn to be in control and I was going to take advantage of it. I stripped him of his shirt and covered every inch of exposed skin in hot kisses. Even though my muscles ached from hours of working I couldn't feel anything but love and desire.

* * *

"Roger?"

I woke up with a start. Mark wasn't in bed.

"Yeah?"

He came back into the bedroom and handed me a cup of coffee.

"I've got to go to a premiere in Hollywood next week, my agents other client cancelled last minute, had a baby. Want to go?"

My mind filled with images of Mark, the moonlit beach and me.

"Hell yeah."


End file.
